Liver Detox Tea

By: Molly Helfend

We all are guilty of misusing our bodies. With daily stressors and environmental pollutants, living perfectly is sadly impractical and our liver is what truly gets the brunt of these lifestyle choices. The liver is one of the largest and most vital organs of the body, which acts as a filter, eliminating environmental toxins, synthesizing hormones, aiding in the absorption of vitamins, creating bile to digest fats and carbohydrates, cleansing impurities from blood and modulating inflammation. Quite a mouthful. Simply put, it is the ultimate detoxifying machine!

When we add impurities to the body such as a poor diet of processed and fatty foods, alcohol and drug consumption and a cocktail of toxins already present in our environment, we adversely affect the liver’s ability to properly modulate and optimize its functions. The liver is one of the hardest working organs. “The tremendous amount of blood that floods into the liver not only contains oxygen and nutrients, but also has toxins that the liver must filter out…[and] once the liver cleanses and processes the blood, it then sends that blood to various areas of the body” (Anthony William, 2018). So, when the liver is burdened and sluggish, we see symptoms in the form of allergies, headaches, autoimmune disorders, neurological issues, constipation, muscle tension, fatigue and much more. In women alone, PMS, fibroid tumors, and endometriosis can be signs of an unhealthy liver. Surprisingly, not many people are aware that even skin issues such as acne, dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis are actually due to an overburdened liver.

It’s important to remember that “the more toxic your liver is, the more likely you are to develop wrinkles and other skin problems that are typically associated with aging…[and] cleaning out the toxins from your toxin-saturated liver is an essential part of addressing” not only skin issues, but overall physical and mental wellness (Anthony William, 2018). A great way to reboot your liver and provide a healthy detox is through the use of herbs. Bitter herbs are wonderful for stimulating and re-grounding the digestion, acting as an aid for digestive enzyme production.

This tea recipe is evenly distributed between each liver decongesting herb. Honeysuckle, represented with the earth element, cools the heart with remnants of pastel hues and elegant fragrances. It has a subtle vanilla flavor and is known for cooling inflamed conditions by clearing heat and removing toxicity from the body. Honeysuckle contains inositol, luteolin, tannins, volatile oils, and salicylic acid. It is also special for its renowned spiritual remedies, which have been useful for inducing dreams of passion and helping those who suffer from nostalgic dwelling. Honeysuckle is astringent, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. Artichokes are more than a delicious vegetable treat to be dipped in butter. The entire plant happens to be medicinal. Used in this tea recipe and represented with the water elements, artichoke leaves are very high in antioxidants, which aid and protect the liver and gallbladder. They are rich in inulin, lutolin and cynarin, making them great for sluggish digestion and poor absorption. In addition, the bitter leaves alleviate mild indigestion and detoxify and protect the digestive tract. Its herbal actions include chalagogue, depurative, hepatic, diuretic, hepatoprotective, choleretic, and antiemetic. Dandelion, represented with the air elements, is a wild, free and abundant herb, rich in vitamin A, C and D, as well as, iron, potassium, calcium, and inulin. This bitter herb is a diuretic, alterative, urinary tonic and liver and kidney decongestant. 

Burdock is the quite a strong bitter herb. Represented with the water elements, burdock’s clearing energy removes digestive congestion. It is also great for skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis. Its herbal actions include alterative and cholagogue. Tangy licorice root has multifaceted medicinal benefits. Represented with water elements, it is fantastic for adrenal depletion, ulcer removal, heartburn and acid reflux and chronic viral infections. The root is expectorant, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral. Milk thistle is quintessential herb for stimulating the digestion. Represented with the fire elements, it is rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals, stimulate liver function and rebuild cells, as well as, improve gallbladder and kidney health. After a night out of drinking alcohol, I usually recommend my friends reach for milk thistle to detoxify. Its herbal actions include cholagogic, choleretic, tonic, galactagogue, hepatoprotective, and alterative. Lastly, I would recommend reading Anthony William’s Medical Medium and order his new book Liver Rescue for more information about life changing food tips to implement into your diet to detoxify your liver.

Liver Detox Tea

(yields about 10 cups) 

• 1 tablespoon of dried honeysuckle flowers

• 1 tablespoon of dried artichoke leaf

• 1 teaspoon of dried dandelion root

• 1 teaspoon of dried burdock root

• 1 teaspoon of dried licorice root

• 1 teaspoon dried milk thistle seeds

Because this is a complex multi-part tea, it is recommended you make both a decoction with the roots and seeds and infusion with the flowers and leaves. To do this, add about 4 cups of cold water to a pot then add the licorice, burdock, dandelion and milk thistle. Gently simmer the herbs for at least 10 minutes. 

Once ready, strain the tea into a large glass jar and let them settle. Next, boil 6 cups of cold water in your pot of choice. To make the infusion of honeysuckle and artichoke, pour the boiling water over the herbs and allow the tea to steep covered for 5-10 minutes. Make sure to cover the tea to keep the heat from dissipating. Once ready, strain into the glass jar with the root and seed decocted liquid. Squeeze some fresh lemon and be sure to sweeten the mixture with raw honey. Enjoy this tea up to 3 times a day for a gentle cleansing detox. 

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• Tonic - strengthens specific organ or whole body

• Anti-inflammatory - helps combat inflammation

• Astringent - reduces flux of moisture and removes toxins

• Diuretic - increases the elimination of urine 

• Cholagogue - stimulates bile release

• Demulcent - soothes and shields irritated internal tissue

• Expectorant - removes excess mucus from lungs

• Depurative - cleanses waste toxins from body

• Hepatoprotective - provides protection for liver

• Alterative - restores health and vitality; blood cleanser

• Anti-viral - destroys viral pathogens

• Anti-bacterial - reduces and expels bacteria

• Choleretic - increases volume of secretion of bile from liver

• Galactagogue - increases breast milk production

• Hepatic - aids, tones and strengthens the liver

• Antiemetic - reduces nausea and prevents vomiting

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This information is not a replacement for a medical professional, so please consult before treating yourself or others with this or any other herbal remedy

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Molly Helfend is part of the HOC team and is a writer, ethnobotanist, herbalist and environmental activist. She graduated from University of Vermont in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a concentration in Holistic Health and recently from University of Kent in 2018 in Canterbury, England with a Masters of Science Degree in Ethnobotany. She has worked for Urban Moonshine, Greenpeace and received her herbalism training with Spoonful Herbals. Her goal is to travel the world, researching plant-human interconnected relationships while continuing to educate about the transformational energy of life. Molly resides in Raglan, New Zealand, working as an herbalist at the Herbal Dispensary.

Stop Being Afraid of Fruit!

I will never forget one of my first meetings with various nutrition experts. I still remember the words “bananas are too high in sugar” or “just cut out fruit, it has too many calories.” And so, believing fruit sugar to be the cause of many health issues, I cut them out, only allowing myself low glycemic fruits like berries. Years later, I look back, and think, wow that was a huge mistake.

Health trends influence public opinion heavily. We are so easily swayed by what bloggers, celebrities and famous individuals eat or do to stay fit and healthy. While some habits work for certain individuals, this does not mean that the majority of us should follow the same routines. We should not follow what seems trendy, we should follow our intuition. We are taught to be so afraid of food, that we end up staring into our empty kitchens wondering what we can and cannot eat!

One quite ridiculous trend is that that fruits are not good for us. It has been getting a horrible rap lately for being too high in sugar, causing weight gain, influencing the growth of candida, etc. How could this be? They are the very foundation that our health depends on and have been around for as long as humans have been. If you read biblical books, fruits have always been on earth since day one. We survived because of fruits!

“Before refined sugar production, and trade became a major industry that turned products like table sugar and HFCS into dietary staples, we relied on a critical source of life. That source was fruit. since humankind began, we’ve depended on fruit, in all its varieties, for our survival. The Tree of Life was an ancient symbol of interconnection, fertility, and eternal life - precisely because of this legendary tree’s fruit. Fruit is part of our essence, a basic element of who we are. We cannot survive without fruit on this planet. It outweighs the nutrition of any other food" (291, William).

For example, a new trend says that lectins from fruit seeds cause inflammation, therefore, we should stay away from them. However, Anthony William has found that it isn’t the fruit or certain foods causing this inflammation or immune responses, but really it’s just certain foods feeding a pathogen hiding within your body, actually signaling a sign of an illness. If you are healthy, your body will absorb fruit and its amazing nutrients. When we deprive ourselves of food, especially fruit, we are not properly nourishing ourselves. Fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Yes, they do have sugar, but this is actually easily digestible fructose that converts into glucose.

“Fructose breaks down in your liver and doesn’t provoke an insulin response…[while] glucose starts to break down in the stomach and requires the release of insulin into the bloodstream to be metabolized completely” (Joy Dubost, 2013).

This steady release actually helps your body break down the sugar and absorb it properly, which will actually not lead to weight gain. They also have amazing healing properties.

"Fruit has properties that soothe your adrenal glands, strengthen your entire endocrine system, repair your vascular system, restore your liver, and revitalize your brain” (296, William). In addition, “fertility — and overall health — depends specifically on the fructose and glucose that occur naturally in fruit, as well as the phytochemical bonded to those sugars. A woman’s reproductive system also relies on the dozens of anti tumor, anticancer antioxidants (and so many more components yet to be discovered by medical science) available only in fruit, as well as fruit’s essential polyphenols, bioflavonoids, disease-stopping pectin, vitamins, and minerals. These elements help to stop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and an overextended reproductive system — examples of conditions that cause mysterious infertility” (292, William). 

Anthony Williams has also found that cancer cannot feed off the sugar in fruit, which possesses critical components such as polyphenols, including resveratrol, and other antioxidants. Fruit not only fights cancer, it also kills all types of viruses and bacteria. It is vital to gut health, which is essential to a healthy immune system. For example, the pectin in apples, and the skin, pulp, and fiber in figs and dates, are exceptionally effective at killing and/or clearing out anything that doesn’t belong in your intestinal tract, including fungi such as Candida, worms, and other parasites (298, William). Recently, a friend of mine was diagnosed with candida and told by her doctor to cut out fruit. She said her symptoms were actually getting worse, as she was only eating eggs and vegetables. As a holistic nutritionist, I advised her to immediately add fruit back in and cut out eggs, as they were feeding the inflammation. I explained that yeast is your body trying to kill off a pathogen, not fight excess sugar from fruit. One month later, she called me to thank me and tell me her symptoms at almost completely disappeared.

Fruit are our friends. Fruit does not make you gain weight. Fruit does not make you sick.  Fruits nourish the lymphatic system. Fruits heal and replenish at a cellular level. Give your body the proper nutrition and vitality it needs by going and eating a big, delicious bowl of mouthwatering fruit. These are the most recommended powerhouse fruits by Anthony William. Try to eat as much organic and wild fruits as possible for the greatest health benefits. 

Wild Blueberries

• highest Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity rating of more than 20 fresh fruits and berries

• packed with antioxidants

• boosts collagen production

• helps heal bruises and cuts faster

• clears acne

• protects against cancer

• clears UTI

• anti-inflammatory

• influences healthier veins

• improves vision

• restores liver

• monitors stress and toxicity levels

• most effective for releasing and detoxing heavy metals

• most powerful brain food

Grapes

• fantastic for kidneys

• “queen of fruits”

• rich source of vitamin A, C and B-complex

• minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, boron, manganese, iron, selenium and potassium

• bioflavonoids, resveratrol, and anthocyanins

• anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-aging, and anti-cancerous

• prevent blood clots

• protect heart and cardiovascular system

• fight tooth decay

• stop viruses

• provide better insulin regulation and overall blood sugar balance

Red Apple

• hydrate body on a cellular level

• anti-inflammatory for the thyroid

• cleanse the liver

• help you lose weight

• increase digestive strength

• reduce viral and bacterial loads

• ultimate colon cleanser

• protect the body from radiation damage

• deactivate toxic heavy metals in the system

Lemon

• cleanse liver, kidneys and spleen

• improve digestion by raising levels of hydrochloric acid in the gut

• tone the intestinal lining

• replenish calcium to prevent osteoporosis

• balance sodium levels in the blood

• contain phenomenal antibiotic, antiseptic, and anti-cancer properties

• rich in vitamins C and B-complex

• minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, silicon, copper, and potassium

• help to cleanse and detoxify the entire body

• alkalize blood, cells, lymph, organs, and tissues

• help destroy putrefactive bacteria in the mouth and intestines

• dissolve gallstones and kidney stones

• help to fight oral, lung, skin, breast, stomach, and colon cancer

• boost the immune system

• reduce inflammation in the body

• great skin remedy

Dates

• protect the adrenals and prevent fatigue

• replenish the brain and muscles with the natural energy

• high in potassium

• provide the brain and liver with essential glucose, the loss of which can actually trigger or exacerbate blood sugar issues

• support healing from conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, fungal infections, and vertigo

• help reduce constipation, heart palpitations, headaches, and exhaustion.

Watermelon

• one of the most hydrating foods on earth

• protects brain and nervous system

• “mother earth’s milk”

• predigested

• fructose leaves the stomach in less than one minute, then the rest of the fruit drops directly into the intestinal tract, immediately fortifying and replenishing the body

• like getting intravenous nutrient therapy

• balls of purified water

• binds onto poisons and toxins and flushes them out to allow the immune system to restore itself

• high electrolyte content helps protect the brain and the rest of the nervous system from stress-related strokes, aneurysms, and embolisms

• thins the blood and reduces heart attack risk, helps prevent heart disease and vascular issues

• can reduce liver and kidney disease

• sodium, potassium, and glucose are bioavailable

• helps to lower high blood pressure

• one of the most alkalizing foods

• helps detox from heavy metals

• high in restorative silica

• prevents insulin resistance and lower elevated A1C levels

• provides emotional support for those with nervousness, skittishness, anxiety, PTSD or uneasiness

Banana

• provide amino acids, calcium and potassium

• rebuild neurotransmitters after they’ve been burnt out by viral neurotoxins

• antiviral and anti-inflammatory

• help balance blood sugar.

• critical brain food

• packed with antioxidants, vitamins and other disease-fighting phytonutrients

• alleviates anxiety, PTSD and other mental illness

• helps heal Crohn's disease, colitis, or IBS

• fights and prevents HIV

Orange

• help sinus and respiratory issues

• enormous amounts of vitamin C

• helps revive the liver from EBV damage

• purges the liver of fat, toxins and EBV debris

• helps you lose weight

• relieves depression and PTSD

• helps fight viruses

• protects from thyroid damage

Papaya

• miracle worker for the skin

• heals irritated nerves in the gut

• cleanses and rebuilds the liver

• restores central nervous system from neurotoxin damage

• strengthens and rebuilds hydrochloric acid in the gut

• vitamin C content is an anti-EBV secret weapon

• drives more sunlight into the thyroid itself when someone is outside

• helps stop thyroid atrophy

Fig

• replenish good bacteria in the gut

• purge the liver of pesticides and other toxins

• lower blood pressure

• high in dietary fiber

• protect against premenopausal breast cancer

• insulin lowering properties

Mango

• bioactive magnesium that calms the nervous system

• calms nerves to aid in sleep issues caused by EBV

• contains large amount of carotene to restore the spleen and liver

• feeds the brain

• purges the lymphatic system of viral waste-matter toxins

Tangerine

• revives the liver from EBV damage

• high amount of vitamin C

• purges organs of fat, helping with weight loss

• high in vitamins C & A, calcium, magnesium & selenium, and beta-carotene & luteins

• anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties

• boosts immune system

• high fiber content

• helps to lower cholesterol

• protects the heart and cardiovascular system from illness and disease

• improves digestion and elimination

• deeply hydrate and replenish the body on a cellular level

Please refer to Anthony William’s books and websites for more life changing health knowledge on fruits and healing. 

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Sima Morrison, founder of House of Citrine, is a vibrant soul with a potent zest for life and the beauty in its simple pleasures. As a holistic nutritionist, Sima has made it her life's journey to experience, to empower, and to explore the synergy between the mind and the body. She manifests her vision through her online journal, designing recipes and cultivating conversation in the sharing of health, wellness, and inspiration. Sima lives with an open heart and views being in service to others as her most important calling, practicing compassion and helping people to heal past trauma. She is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor and meditation facilitator.

The Power of Celery Juice

Everyone knows that I am a true believer in Anthony Williams and his Medical Medium protocol. Medical Medium is a true medical marvel, healing thousands of people from chronic diseases and conditions. His healing protocol stems from the power of real fruits and vegetables and their ability to cure illness. One of the first things I learned from this book was about the power of adding celery juice to the diet. It might be one of the most powerful additions that I have incorporated into my lifestyle. You might now be wondering, why would I add this bitter vegetable juice into my diet? 

Starting your day with 8 to 12 oz is one of the most powerful ways to get digestive system into track. It’s basically the ultimate healing tonic that pushes toxins out of your system. In addition, raw celery juice is extremely high in fiber and fluids and contains beneficial enzymes and vitamins and minerals such as vitamin k, c, b6 potassium, and folate. It is also high in natural sodium levels and contains antimicrobial properties that fight infection. Celery juice helps fight free radicals, prevents kidney stones, lowers bad cholesterol, fights cancer, reduces migraines, clears skin, reduces and controls blood pressure, lowers inflammation, protects liver health and cleans the blood. Celery juice is ultra hydrating - one of the most hydrating on the planet and can prevent dehydration by keeping electrolytes very balanced. Lastly, it is great for highly acidic bodies, as it will alkalize them. 

Celery juice can heal conditions such as crones, diverticulitis, colitis, IBS, indigestion, and bloating.

“Researchers have identified over a dozen different types of antioxidants that are responsible for the benefits of celery — these include such phenolic acids as caffeic acid and ferulic acid, plus flavaols like quecetin. This makes celery useful for treating a wide range of conditions that are made worse by inflammation: joint pain (such as from arthritis), gout, kidney and liver infections, skin disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and urinary tract infections, just to name a few” (Dr. Axe, 2018).

Celery juice is ideal for individuals with low levels of HCL, as it replenishes HCL to fight parasites, breaking down food better and allowing for pure digestion for the absorption. Starting your morning off with this juice will rebuild these HCL levels, which directly correlates to bile and liver health. According to Anthony Williams:

“Celery is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods, because it starves unproductive bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, and viruses that are present in the body and flushes their toxins and debris out of the intestinal tract and liver. Pathogens like these are so often the underlying cause of inflammation—in their absence, your body is much better able to handle whatever life throws your way. At the same time, celery helps good bacteria thrive. Consuming celery is the most powerful way to alkalize the gut. That’s in part because celery (which is technically an herb, not a vegetable) is high in bioactive sodium. It also contains cofactor micro trace mineral salts as yet undiscovered in research. These are varieties of sodium and other trace minerals (more than 60 of them) that are present in celery and work symbiotically and systematically with each other and with celery’s regular sodium to raise your body’s pH and rid toxic acids from every crevice of your body, including your gut. This process is ideal to cleanse and repair intestinal linings. At the same time, celery offers enzymes and coenzymes, and it raises hydrochloric acid in the stomach so that food digests with ease and doesn’t putrefy. This helps prevent a multitude of gastrointestinal disorders. Adding celery juice to your diet is the best way to resolve ammonia permeability, an unrecognized condition in which ammonia gas seeps through the intestinal lining and causes health issues such as dental rot and brain fog…in addition to the above, celery improves kidney function, helps restore the adrenals, and can even bring ease to one’s mind and thought patterns, with its mineral salts feeding electrical impulse activity and supporting neuron function, which is key if you suffer with ADHD, brain fog, or memory loss. When it comes to celery, think electrolytes. It hydrates on a deep cellular level, lessening your chances of suffering from migraines…plus it offers stress assistance and also repairs your DNA”

If you do not own a juicer, do not fret! You can easily blend a bunch of celery in the blender and strain it with a cheesecloth. It is best to drink right in the morning after a large glass of warm water with lemon, but you can can have it throughout the day. Another great time is post or pre workout. If you do not like the taste, juice celery with cucumber and a bit of red apple or lime juice. Remember, celery is extremely inexpensive, making this the ideal healing technique and routine for anyone on a budget. It’s honestly under 3 dollars for a stalk of celery, so go for it. You will feel the power of juicing celery within the first week of your daily sessions. Healing is in your own hands, as well as, sitting right in your kitchen! 

CONDITIONS:

Acne, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, eczema, psoriasis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), leaky gut, infertility, Lyme disease, migraines, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), thyroid diseases and disorders, low reproductive system battery, diabetes, hypoglycemia, adrenal fatigue, anxiety, sepsis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, kidney dis- ease, pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, fatty liver, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, Addison’s disease, rosacea, lipoma, bladder cancer, interstitial cystitis, Crohn’s disease, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), thrush, hyperglycemia, hyper- tension, depression, apnea, thyroid cancer, bacterial vaginosis, edema, injuries, parasites, yeast infections, insomnia, mold exposure, bacterial infections, viral infections, ammonia permeability

SYMPTOMS:

Intestinal spasms; cysts; low hydrochloric acid; sluggish liver; low cortisol; high cortisol; brain fog; food allergies; acidosis; hypothyroid; hyperthyroid; blurry eyes; joint pain; headaches; bloating; gas; abdominal pressure; abdominal distension; chronic dehydration; eye dryness; frozen shoulder; acid reflux; inflamed gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, and/or colon; rashes; nausea; white film on tongue; Candida overgrowth; anxiousness; memory loss; high blood pressure; food sensitivities; swelling; inflammation; muscle spasms; leg cramps; fatigue; mineral deficiencies; brain inflammation; sleep disturbances; nervousness

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT:

All too often, we make life more complicated than it needs to be—or else we oversimplify what’s truly a complex issue. This push-and-pull happens in all areas of life, especially health. In one approach, people overthink health problems and throw all kinds of potential solutions at them. In the other approach, people take a health challenge that’s actually a delicate interplay of many factors and try to make it seem like it’s just a simple case of the body going haywire out of the blue. For true healing to occur, we have to embrace a balance of the simple and the complex—and celery teaches us this. Drinking celery juice is the simplest of measures, so simple that people often write it off as too easy to make a difference in how they feel. They figure that adding several other ingredients to their green juice will add that many more nutrients. While green-juice blends can be very healing, there is nothing that equals the simple power of pure celery juice. It is as healing, transformational, and life-changing as it gets—and that’s due to its complex nutritional makeup, which needs to be left undisturbed to work its magic. It’s an important reminder for other areas of life. Where else do we need to have an intricate understanding of a situation to conclude that the simplest approach is the best

To press the reset button on your body, juice celery by itself. For the full effect, drink a full 16 ounces of fresh celery juice daily—and make sure it’s on an empty stomach to raise hydrochloric acid levels most efficiently. For dramatic results, drink two 16-ounce glasses of fresh celery juice a day. 

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Sima Morrison, founder of House of Citrine, is a vibrant soul with a potent zest for life and the beauty in its simple pleasures. As a holistic nutritionist, Sima has made it her life's journey to experience, to empower, and to explore the synergy between the mind and the body. She manifests her vision through her online journal, designing recipes and cultivating conversation in the sharing of health, wellness, and inspiration. Sima lives with an open heart and views being in service to others as her most important calling, practicing compassion and helping people to heal past trauma. She is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor and meditation facilitator.